1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera module including a lens unit, an image sensor IC, and peripheral circuit components that are connected to the lens units and the image sensor IC and that have predetermined functions, and further relates to an electronic device including the camera module.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, most portable devices, such as cellular phones and PDAs, have a photographing function. Camera modules for realizing the function of photographing are generally constituted as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-165460 and No. 2011-233716.
Each of the camera modules disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-165460 and No. 2011-233716 includes a lens unit, an image sensor IC, and peripheral circuit components connected to the lens unit and the image sensor IC. The peripheral circuit components are mounted to or incorporated in a multilayer substrate. The multilayer substrate is a rigid substrate, and the image sensor IC is mounted to a surface of the multilayer substrate. The image sensor IC is mounted with its light receiving element directed to the side oppositely away from the multilayer substrate. The lens unit is arranged on the same side as the surface of the multilayer substrate, to which the image sensor IC is mounted, such that a lens is spaced from a light receiving surface of the image sensor IC by a predetermined distance.
Thus, the related-art camera module has a structure that the lens unit, the image sensor IC, and the rigid multilayer substrate including the peripheral circuit components mounted thereto are successively arrayed in the thickness direction of the multilayer substrate.
In the related-art camera modules disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-165460 and No. 2011-233716, however, because the lens unit, the image sensor IC, and the multilayer substrate are successively arrayed in the thickness direction of the multilayer substrate, the height of the camera module in its entirety is increased, and reduction of the height is not easy to realize.
When the above-mentioned type of camera module is connected to a mother board of a portable device, the camera module is directly mounted onto the mother board in some cases, and is externally connected by employing a separate connection means in other cases. The connecting means is generally a flexible cable.
When the camera module is directly mounted onto the mother board, the thickness of the portable device is increased because the thicknesses of the mother board and the camera module are added. Furthermore, a mounting region for the camera module has to be secured on the mother board. Moreover, other circuit patterns to be disposed on the mother board are limited by the mounting region for the camera module.
When the camera module is connected by employing the flexible cable, a connecting portion is susceptible to breakage due to bending or warping because the rigid camera module and the soft flexible cable are connected to each other.